Door service guard



June 23, 1953 PETERS 2,642,629

Do'oR SERVICE GUARD Filed April 23, 1 949 Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE Doon SERVICE 'GUARD LeoPeters, Evanston, Ill.

Application April 23, 1949, Serial N o. 89,265

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a door service guard, and is particularly useful in the safeguarding of garments which are to be picked up for dry cleaning, etc. and returned by the deliveryman.

The problem of providing adequate and satisfactory means for eliminating inconveniences now present in the pick-up and delivery of dry cleaning runs into many practical difliculties. For example, doors to which a servicing structure might be attached vary considerably in their structure. Some doors are of metal, others of Wood, and still others of .a combination of the two materials. Some doors are of solid construction; others have panels of various kinds and thickness; still others have large or small panes of glass for decoration or to admit light. Some doors have wide frames while others have narrow frames. Doors which are made of hard wood or metal are diflicult to cut, drill, chisel or rabbet. Some home owners seriously object to having holes drilled or grooves rabbeted in their doors, while all of them prefer to have door alterations held to a minimum when a door service case or guard is installed. Some home owners also object to having a. doo-r case attached that partially or wholly covers any door windows that might be present.

An object of the present invention is to overcome, or reduce to a minimum, the above difficulties and objections. A further object is to provide simple and eective means for safeguarding garments upon a building panel or door when the same is to be picked up or after the garments are delivered during that interval of time during which the housewife is not at home. A further object is to provide a guard panel which can be folded, rolled, telescoped, or meshed outward or inward at will to cover and uncover clothes hanging on the outside of a door or Wall. A further object is to provide .a lock, controlled by a combination, key, etc., and an extensible gate fastened to the outside of a door for automatically unlocking when the door is opened and automatically locking when the door is closed, the lock being adapted to be opened by an authorized person when the door is closed. A further object is to provide a locking arrangement for an extensible clothes guard which will use the door frame for locking the guard in position when the door is closed. Yet another object is to provide an extensible clothes guard of open lattice-like construction so as to admit light therethrough to the door Windows, while providing a protection for the windows and while, when not in use, may be retracted to a position to one side of the windows. A still further object is toprovide .a flexible clothes guard which presses against the clothes and holds them tightly in position regardless of how few or many clothes are held within it, the guard being extendible or contractible to any desired extent depending upon the quantity of the clothes which must be secured. A further object is to provide a clothes guard which is not dependent; upon any spring action or movable parts to lock it or unlock it as the door is opened and closed and which may be held in closed position due simply to the juxtaposition of stationary frame parts. A still further object is to provide a clothes guard which does not require that the door be mutilated by holes, grooves, etc., While at the same time providing a sturdy safeguard for the clothes when suspended upon the rear door or other door or wall. Other specific objects and -advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a, specific embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a door equipped with garment-retainer structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the gate in extended position; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional View, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged detailedsectional View showing the lock mechanism in not engaged position; Fig. 5, a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing the lock mechanism engaging the extensible gate; Fig. 6, a broken perspective View of the gate structure which may be employed; and Fig. 7, a perspective View of the lock mechanism, including a latch member forming a part of the locking mechanism.

In the illustration given, A designates a door which is mounted within a door frame B, and C designatesv an extensible gate. y

While the garment-retainer structure may be I mounted upon any building panel or wall, I prefer to mount it upon a door A, as illustrated in the drawings. `I equip the door with a hook I0. Preferably, on the upper portion of the door and below the hook I0 and to each side thereof are guard posts II. A garment hanger I2 may be suspended upon the hook l0 to carry garments which may be enclosed Within a bag I3. The guard posts II may be omitted and the loop portion of the hanger I2 below the hook extended over the hook I0 of the door. The loop of the hanger will thus prevent upper movement of the hanger I2. The frame B may be of the usual frame which surrounds a door. The gate C may be of any suitable construction and may consist of any body which may be swung into enclosing position about the hook I so as to retain the garment thereon. In the specific illustration given, I provide a network of links I4 pivoted together at their points of crossing so as to form an extensible gate. The innermost ends of the links are provided with rollers I5 which are received within a U-shaped trackmember I6. The track member I6 is connected by a hinge I1 to a base member I8, which is secured to the door. Since this structure is of Well-known construction a further detailed description is believed unnecessary. In the specific form of gate C shown, I prefer to equip the outermost link members with flanges locking recesses 20.

Any suitable means may be employed. for latchfing or locking the gate C in extended position.

Y For example, a' single bolt maybe provided for extending over the extended link structure and into juxtaposed relation with the door frame. In the specic illustration; given, I equip the door with sleeves 2| which have screws 22 extending into the door. Rotatably mounted in the sleeves 2l is a shaft 23 having end hooks 24 adapted to engage the openings 20 in the gate C. The

' shaft 23 is also provided with a central hook or latch 25 which is adapted to engage the central portion of the links I4, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.l

Adjacent the central latch or hook 25 is a lock 26 having a bolt 21 adapted to be moved forwardly into engagement with the latch or hook 25, as

' shown more 'clearly' in Fig. 5. The lock illustrated is adapted tobeiactuated by a key, `but it will be understood thai-.the lock math, if desired, be a combinationlock orimay have other means for authorized person.

' wife mayV place'the Vgarments which are to be preventing the operation of the lock by an un- Operation In the operation of the apparatus, the housedry cleaned upon hangers I2 and suspendr them upon the hook AIll, the bolt 21 of the lock being in extended positiomas shown in Fig. 5. rihe housewife may then draw the gate C into extended position, as shown in Fig. 2, and while the door is open, may secure the gateV upon the latch 'members 24 and 25. When the door is closed, the

door frame prevents the further extension of I the 4gate to permit removal of the garment, as

illustrated best in Fig. 3. At this time, the housewife still has access to the garments by opening the door, the gate being then extend-'ible to permit its release from the latches 24 and 25. `VNo one else, however, has access to the garments except the pick-up man who is provided with a key for operating the lock to'wi'tlidraw the bolt 21. Even though thev door is locked, the pickup man Acan withdraw the bolt 21, swing the latch members-24 and 25 rearwardly to release the gate C and hefcan thus remov'ethe gare ments. Y

After the garments are dry cleaned, the deliverman may return them in the bag I3 and place' theV hangers thereof upon. the hook I0. The gate C is .then drawn about the hook I0 V and the latches 24 and 25 brought into engaged relation with the free'end of the gate, asl illus- I trated in Figs. `2 and -3. The deliveryman will than insert his lier-MMM 190.152? and-*move 4 the bolt 21 into locking position, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

Upon her return, the housewife may, by unlocking the door, open the door to move the latch parts away from the door frame. The gate may then be slightly extended and released from the latching members 24 and 25, the gate being then contracted or swung outwardly and the garments removed. The extensible gate may be used with a solid door or may, if desired, be arranged to extend vover glass windows in the door. In the extended position, the gate does not obscure light from the windows, while at the same time forming. a. protection for the windows. The metal links It of the gate are repellent and permita vbending of the gate about the clothes, as

I9 in which are formed illustrated in Fig. 3, and the extensible character of the gate enables it to accommodate bodies of varying thicknesses.

While in the foregoing specification I have set f orth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating my invention, it

secured to the outside of a door for supporting garments thereon, a lengthwise extensible gate, means carried'by the door for supporting the gate upon one side of the door for movement into and away from enclosing position about said support, a latch rotatably mounted upon said door and equipped with hooks for engaging forward portions of said gate when the same is extended over said support, and a bolt-equipped lock carried by said door adjacent said latch, said bolt being movable into position against said latch when the same engages said door to prevent separation of said latch from said gate, said bolt, upon the unlocking of said lock, being retractable to permit disengagement of said gate from said bolt.`

2. In a garment-retainer structure, garment support means secured to a door having a door frame, a lazy tong type gatepivotally mounted at one side of said door and extensible over said support means to a position adjacent the door frame at the opposite side of said door, and a lock-controlled latch member engagable with said gate Y and extendingv to a position adjacent said door frame to prevent release of said gate While said door yisrclosed, said gate being extensible further beyond'said door frame to free said gate' from said latch when said door is opened.l

3. Agarment-retain'er structure equipped with I means for attaching it upon a door for enclosure of a hook mounted upon the door, said structure comprising a lengthwise extensible gate hingeably mounted upon said door, said gate being extensible for enclosing said hook and to a position adjacent theY door frame at the opposite side of thev door, a latch rotatably mounted lupon said door adjacent said door frame and equipped with 'hooksfor' engaging said vgate whenV the same is extended, a bolte'quippe'd lock` adjacent said door framasaid bolt being extensible to engage said latch `to maintain thesame in gate-'engaging positiongrwhensaid gate isf'extended to a point adjacent said 'door frame, s aidlatch, when in ven gagement with said bolt adjacent saiddoor frame,

" preventing retraction ofthe gateV exceptwhen saidjoolt'` iswithdiawn and said latch opened,

whereby said gate may be longitudinally moved to free it from said latch.

4. In combination with a door hngedly mounted within a doorl frame and equipped With a door lock, a hook mounted upon the exterior of the door, a lengthwise extensible gate pivotally mounted along the hinged side of the door for movement to an enclosed position about the hook, a key-controlled lock equipped with an extensible bolt, and a latch moving into interlocking engagement with the gate when the same is brought to a position adjacent the door frame, said latch being maintained in interlocking engagement with said gate when said bolt is extended but being releasable therefrom when said bolt is retracted by extending the gate beyond the latch.

5. In combination with a door frame and a door having its exterior side provided with a garment support, a hinge member mounted along one side of said door, an extensible link-gate carried by said hinge and extensible beyond the opposite edge of said door and movable to a position enclosing said support, a latch member on the door adjacent said Idoor frame and movable to positions engaging said gate when the same is extended and for releasing said gate when said gate is extended beyond said latch, and key-controlled locking means adjacent the side of the door opposite said hinge and equipped with a bolt movable into labutting relation with said latch to maintain the latch in interlocking engagement with said gate, said latch, upon the withdrawal of said bolt, being separable from said gate by moving said gate beyond said latch.

6. In a garment-retainer structure, means upon a door for supporting garments thereon, v

said door being hinged upon a door frame, an extensible gate upon said door for movement toward the opposite'side of said door adjacent said door frame, said gate enclosing said garment-supporting means when in said extended vented by said door frame, said latchA being movable to permit extension of said gate to free it from said latch when said bolt is retracted.

LEO PETERS.

References Cited. inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 696,223 Bruning Mar. 25, 1902 1,222,963 `Matchette Apr. 17, 1917 1,546,762 Trost etal. July 21, 1925` 1,572,763 `Carr Feb. 9, 1926 1,674,534 Trost June 19, 1928 

